Joshua's Redemption
by Liber-T.E.A
Summary: Part 2 in my "Fourth Week" Trilogy.  It's a story of how Joshua regains his humanity due to a sweet, innocent girl.  Rated T to be safe.
1. The Fall of Yoshiya Joshua Kiryu

A/N: This is the sequel to my first story, The Fourth Week. I hope it is better than the first story, but I'll leave it up to the readers to decide.

* * *

Joshua sat alone on the roof of 104. His head was down in anguish, and he was lost in thought. He had been through a rough day, and the future seemed bleak.

* * *

Seven Hours Earlier

Joshua was standing in the middle of the Hall of Law and Order, the courtroom of the higher plane nicknamed Heaven. In front of him was the Council of the High Angels, and he was on trial.

The evidence against him was huge, as was the charge: Overstepping his bounds as a Composer. The Council charged that he played an illegal game with the Conductor over the destruction of Shibuya, which they claimed was their decision, not his. Also, they told him that keeping his proxy, Neku Sakuraba, in the game for four weeks was not only evil, but sadistic as well.

Joshua couldn't do anything to change their minds, and they gave the strongest punishment they could give a person like him: removal of his powers and rank. He would be stuck in the RG until he had learned his lesson that he really isn't God after all.

* * *

Joshua realized that living as a normal human again would be a living hell. But little did he know, it would be the best thing to ever happen to him.

* * *

A/N: I know this chapter is short, but it's really an intro chapter. It will get better. Also, this ties into the secret ending where Mr. H says something about "repercussions upstairs". Please R&R! Anonymous reviews are welcome!

Also, thanks to Jaunea for beta-ing this for me!


	2. Week 5, Day 2: Acceptance

A/N: This chapter will take place a day after the last chapter of my first story. Enjoy. Also, I do not own TWEWY.

* * *

Neku was walking towards Hachiko. He was smiling, due to the fact that he was just about to see Shiki.

When he got there, the two Bitos and Shiki were already there, lost in conversation. Nobody noticed him walk up, so he used the opportunity to walk up behind Shiki.

As he came up behind her, he snuck up and put his arms around her. He leaned down, and he whispered the words "Good Morning Shiki" in her ear as he kissed her neck gently. She shuddered, but she turned around and locked lips with him.

The two siblings looked at each other in confusion. They had no idea of their friends' new relationship.

"A'ight! Can one of you tell me what's going on?"

The two remembered that they had not told Beat or Rhyme that they were dating. A blush came upon their faces.

"Well," Shiki explained,"Neku and I started dating."

Rhyme became interested and smiled, "Congratulations! When did this happen?"

"Yesterday, after you two left." Neku answered.

"Yo! We should go set somethin' to eat! To celebrate, yo!" Beat announced.

"Yeah! We should go to Ramen Don's!" Rhyme agreed.

"Mind if I come along?"

* * *

Joshua had no idea where to go, but he had to go somewhere. Then, he remembered that Neku and his friends said something about meeting at Hachiko. So, he figured he should start there.

As he got there, he noticed that they were all there, and Neku had his arms around Shiki. _Saw that coming_, he thought to himself. He couldn't help but feel a hint of sadness, however.

Then he overheard Beat yelling "Yo! We should go get somethin' to eat! To celebrate, yo!"

He couldn't help himself, he had to say it.

"Mind if I come along?"

* * *

Neku saw Joshua, and he became enraged. The orange-haired boy then ran forward and punched Joshua in the face. He hit him with enough force to make him fall down.

Shiki then grabbed Neku to stop him from punching Joshua again. Joshua slowly sat up, his nose bleeding.

"I can understand your anger Neku, but I was just trying to say 'hi'." Joshua joked in his usual joking manner.

"You're lucky I don't kill you right now." Neku said, furious.

Rhyme walked over to Joshua, knelt down next to him, and said "Please everybody, let's all calm down and hear what he has to say." She didn't know him personally, just from what her friends told her about him.

He noticed her kindness, and smiled. "Thank you Raimu"

She felt a chill go up her spine, something that did not happen to her often. However, she felt some other feeling, but she could not identify it.

"Fine" Neku said, starting to cool down (with Shiki's help).

"Well...it all started yesterday..."

* * *

He told them everything, from his trial, to his punishment. He didn't leave out a single detail, and he answered any questions that they had.

They stayed silent that whole time, with the exception of an occasional question.

Afterwards, Neku walked over to him (A/N : Joshua is still sitting down on the ground), and extended his hand to help him up. Joshua couldn't help but wonder _Why?_

"I may hate you, but kicking you while you're down is pointless." Neku said as he pulled him up.

Beat's stomach growled, and he cut in, "Dude! I need food! Les' go!"

The rest of the group knew not to mess with Beat when he was hungry, so they, and Joshua, took off towards Ramen Don.

* * *

That night, Joshua was standing outside. Neku decided to let him stay at his place, and Joshua was standing just outside his front door.

He was thinking about the events of the past day. His face was bruised, and his nose still hurt. He was really surprised that they had accepted him like that.

However, he one thing struck him: Rhyme. How could she be so nice to him when she hardly even knew him, especially since her friends hated him so much. _I must know more about her! _he thought.

He pulled out his phone, and called Mr. H.

"Hello Mr. H....yes, I know it's late...I have lots to talk to you about, but tomorrow...what about?...you heard about my punishment...yes yes, I know...actually, I need a favor...yes, you do owe me!...I need you to get me some info...on a person...her name is Raimu Bito...I'll tell you tomorrow...yes...good night Mr. H."

* * *

A/N: I told you it would be longer! And, I left off with a semi-cliff hangar! Please R&R!

Thanks to Jaunea again for betaing! Also, thanks to Xernuht for the review!


	3. Week 5, Day 3:The Discovery Of Innocence

I don't own TWEWY.

* * *

The next day, Joshua told Neku that he would meet them later at Shibukyu Sunshine, but he had to be somewhere he had to be today.

Neku shrugged, and he went off towards Hachiko. Joshua smirked, and he walked in the other direction, towards WildKat.

* * *

"Hey Joshua!" Mr H. said happily. His shop finally had a few customers.

"Hey Sanae." Joshua said, still somewhat tired. He was not used to sleeping again as a human. "Do you have what I asked for?"

"Sure do." Mr H. replied. He reached under the bar, and he got out a portfolio. He slid it to Joshua, who opened it up. A picture of Rhyme was looking at him, and he still felt a sense of kindness coming from her.

"You don't know how hard that was to get! I had to pull some serious strings upstairs to get that!"

"Is this all?"

"Yeah. Everything on Raimu Bito, from her favorite foods to her last report card, all there."

"Good. Get me some coffee. I'll be here for a while."

* * *

Joshua spent what seemed like hours going over every paper in Rhyme's file. He laughed, he cried (Not really, but close). However, the last page in the file was the Reaper's report on her performance in the last game. There, in painstaking detail, was how she died, played the Game, died again, and got brought back to life. He got through it all, even though it was hard in some parts, until the last part. It read:

"Even though she came back to life, her original entry fee was lost. This is due to the fact that she technically lost the Game. Her original entry fee, which were her future ambitions, made up half of her emptiness. Her other half, her love for her brother, was regained when he won the Game, due to the fact that this was _his_ Entry Fee, not her's. As such, however, she will live a strained and stressful life due to her lack of hopes and dreams."

Joshua dropped the paper after reading this. How could a girl this innocent and kind be tortured like this?

_Drop. Drop. Drop._

He looked down, and he noticed a few drops of water on the table. However, he realized that it was not water: it was his tears. He had forgotten what sadness felt like, and he didn't like it. It didn't suit him. But what scared him the most was the fact that he was crying over a girl that he hardly even knew. _Scratch that,_ he thought to himself, _I know everything about her. I just don't know her personally._ This pissed him off that his "human side" was showing his ugly face. _Still..._, he thought, _this is something I have to look into some more._

He got up, and he turned to leave.

"Hey!" Mr H. yelled to him, "You aren't leaving without saying goodbye, are you?"

However, Sanae stopped in his tracks when he saw the look of sorrow on Joshua's face.

"Are you ok?"

"No, not yet."

* * *

Major cliffhanger! DUN-DUN-DUNNNNNNN! Thanks to Xernuht and Sahara for the reviews! Please review!


	4. Week 5, Day 3: Face to Face Pt 1

Sorry I took so long. Writer's block + graduation coming up = nightmare!

I don't own TWEWY.

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the group went shopping.

Neku was surprised. It was much more of a peaceful experience than shopping while in the Game. Plus, he had Shiki, so he was happy.

Beat was stuck carrying bags for the group. This is because they (Neku and Shiki) paid for lunch, and he ate a lot. So, he had to pay them back somehow.

Shiki was happily picking out clothes. She and Rhyme were picking out clothes from all the stores at 104. She didn't really buy anything, but she got to be with Neku, who she occasionally asked which shirt or skirt he thought looked better on her.

Rhyme however, was only half there mentally. She had a feeling of immense stress that she had never felt before she entered the Game. She couldn't understand it, but it was a feeling of hopelessness. Over the last few weeks, she had noticeably became less happy and cheerful, but no one noticed it but herself. She didn't know why either.

* * *

When they got to 104, Neku got a phone call. He looked at his cell, and he didn't recognize the number...but he answered anyways.

"Hello," Neku answered, "Who's calling?"

"It's me Nekky-kun." Joshua replied, sending a chill down Neku's spine and a thought of rage through his brain.

"HOW DID YOU GET MY NUMBER?" Neku yelled into the phone. Everybody around him jumped, and they turned towards the screaming redhead.

"It was simple, really," the cold, taunting voice spoke back, "I checked your phone when you were sleeping. You **are** very hard to wake up, but..."

"SHUT UP!" Neku interrupted, eyes ablaze with fury, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Simple: Where are you guys now?"

Neku contemplated giving him the wrong location, but the fact that Joshua could probably tell that he was lying and would pay him back later changed his mind.

With a sigh, Neku muttered "104" into the phone.

"Good." Joshua said in a strangely happy tone, "I'll see you there."

Neku then hung up, and angrily put his phone away. Shiki grabbed his arm to comfort him, and she looked up into his eyes through her glasses. Neku couldn't resist her, and it worked. He cooled down, and the group walked to the next store in the building.

* * *

Joshua stood in the middle of the Scramble, looking at the facade of 104. For the first time that he could remember, he was nervous. Even weirder was the fact that it was over a girl that he barely knew personally. This was something that he had never experienced before.

He took a deep breath, and walked in.

* * *

He met them in Wild Boar 104. Beat became tired of being the lackey, so he requested the pick of the next store. He was busy looking at skateboards.

The other three were standing around, talking. Joshua saw them, smirked, and walked up to them.

"Hello Neku. Missed me?" Joshua teased.

Neku didn't respond verbally; instead, he punched him again in the face. Joshua kneeled down, blood pouring out of his nose. He pinched his nose shut, and his eyes had a look of disgust.

"Again with the face? Do you really like disfiguring me?" he said, still in a snide tone. He was using his hand to keep blood out of his mouth.

Neku just laughed, and he walked off to go talk with Beat.

This left Shiki and Rhyme with Joshua. An awkward silence came up, and Shiki made an excuse to go stand with Neku.

Now, Rhyme was alone with Joshua. Just how he wanted it.

* * *

AH! Another cliffhangar! I know, I hate them too. But, in this case, it worked out.

-Tactical Neku, I see what you mean. I will work on that in the future.

Thanks to Jaunea for betaing, and thanks to Tactical Neku, YamiTenshi14, Sahara, and of course Xernuht for the reviews.


	5. Week 5, Day 3: Face to Face Pt 2

I still don't own TWEWY.

* * *

Rhyme looked around nervously. Everybody left her alone with Joshua. And, from their obviously-biased stories, she figured that this only could lead to trouble.

"I'm terribly sorry," she heard suddenly, breaking the tense silence, "Where are my manners? We haven't been properly introduced."

He reached his hand out for a handshake. Rhyme's first initial thought was to shake it. However, her conscious told her not to. Instead, she froze looking rather nervous.

"Don't worry dear. Despite what Neku and the others have probably told you, I won't bite."

She flinched. Something about his voice sent chills down her spine. Rhyme pushed the thought away, and she carefully shook his hand.

"Yoshiya Kiryu. But you can call me Joshua."

"Raimu Bito. Everybody calls me Rhyme, though"

He chuckled at this.

"Raimu suits you better."

She opened her mouth to say something, but she decided not to argue.

He then turned towards the others.

"Well, let's go get the others so we can go eat. I assume that your brother won't last much longer without something to consume."

"Yeah well...," she started, but nothing else came to mind to say.

The two then drifted together towards the rest of the group.

* * *

The group ended up at Shibukyu Sunshine.

Neku and Shiki shared a Tatsumi Burger and a Cola, which naturally earned them tons of jokes on their behalf. Beat, realizing that he wasn't paying, scarfed down a Double Burger, Nuggets, French Fries, and a Cola all on his own. Rhyme had ordered a Salad.

Joshua didn't have anything. He explained that he had already eaten earlier.

It was a pretty normal meal. Except for the conversation.

"So Nekky-kun, how is..."

"Stop calling me that!"

"What?"

"NEKKY-KUN! STOP CALLING ME NEKKY-KUN!"

"Why do you call him that anyways?"

"Well Raimu dear, it's a sign of endearment towards him."

"Endearment? I call it a sign of you trying to get under my skin!"

"Really. Well, if that were true, is it working?"

"No...maybe...YES! SHUT UP!"

"All right you two! That's enough!"

"Right yo! I can't eat while you two are yellin' at each other like that!"

...

"Anyways...So Joshua, how is life here in the RG for you?"

"It could be worse, Shiki dear. I do have good company."

...

"What are you looking at me like that for?"

"Nothing...Nekky-kun."

"THAT'S IT!"

* * *

After several confrontations like this, the group decided to split up for the night.

Neku walked Shiki home, but Joshua asked Beat to walk Rhyme home before they left.

"Why?"

"Because I know you all **soooo** well! I hardly know her at all. I just want to talk."

Beat tried to think about it, but he got a headache. So, he conferred with Neku for a minute.

When he came back, he had a serious look on his face.

"Well...fine. But if you hurt her at all...I'MA BUST YOUR FACE!"

Joshua took a step back, still smiling. Neku walked up next to Beat.

"I don't trust you and neither does Beat. However, if she agrees to walk with you, we will give you a chance to earn a little trust."

They looked towards Rhyme, who felt very self-conscious with everyone looking at her, but she nodded.

"Good. Now remember, if you screw up..."

On cue, Beat cracked his knuckles.

"I get it. Don't worry. I'm not as bad as you think I am."

"Let's hope not...for your sake."

Then, everyone left.

"Now then, which way do you live?"

* * *

The first few minutes of walking were peaceful, but silent. This not only made Rhyme tense, but Joshua as well.

He really didn't like this new feeling, so he began to talk.

"Um...so Raimu...how have you been since the Game ended?"

She was surprised. From what her friends told her, she didn't think he cared about how other people were.

"Uhh...OK...I guess."

"Really? Considering that you lost your Entry Fee, I figured that you would be worse off then you appear to be."

She froze. Did he know what she lost?

"What do you mean?"

"Uh...nothing."

_That was close._

Silence came between them again, so she decided to break it this time.

"So, how long are you trapped here in the RG?"

"Until I learn my lesson."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The Angels have decided that until I regain my humanity, I cannot go back to the UG."

"Why?"

"According to them, keeping Neku in the game for 4 weeks, as well as gambling with the existence of Shibuya, was overstepping my grounds. They said I was acting like God, so they removed me from my pedestal."

"Oh right. You said something like that before."

"Yes. But, as it stands, I have no idea how to "regain my humanity"."

She let this all sink in, but she had no idea how to help him. So, instead, she tried to console him.

"Well, I hope you find out soon."

"Thank you, Raimu dear."

The mention of her name from him made her shiver again. However, she was surprised to see how enticing it was.

The next several minutes were generally quiet again. Every once and a while, they would make some nice small talk. But...it wasn't tense. They both were feeling happy about how it was going, and they were both surprised to feel that way.

However, they soon got to her house. She was thinking about how nice he was, compared to how her friends said he was.

So, she giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing's funny. I'm just surprised about how nice you are to me."

"Don't be, Raimu dear. I can be nice when I want to be, and right now, I certainly want to be."

"What makes me special?"

"You just are, my dear."

He smirked, and he looked away.

"You just are."

She wondered what he meant by this, but she didn't have time to ask him: Beat came out of his house at this time, and he gestured for Rhyme to come in.

She turned around, and she waved goodbye to Joshua.

"This was actually...very nice. Thank you Joshua."

"No, thank you."

With this, she giggled again as she went inside.

Beat looked at her questioningly, and he turned to Joshua, who was smiling his trademark snide smile.

"So, you didn't do anything bad, did ya Prissy Boy?"

"No. But I must say, your sister can hold a conversation **way** better than you can."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Nothing that **you **can comprehend anyway."

Beat's face became red with anger, and he slammed the door.

Joshua just laughed. Then, with another smirk, he left for Neku's place.

* * *

Later that night, Joshua was looking up at Neku's ceiling from his sleeping bag. Neku had lent him that, and he was sleeping on the floor of Neku's room.

The redhead himself was brushing his teeth in the bathroom at the moment. This gave Joshua time to think.

_So, she thinks I'm nice huh? That's surprising. Why am I even being nice anyways?_

Many more questions like this flew through his head as he stared at the ceiling.

_What is this feeling that I feel towards her? Why am I feeling it?_

Then, all of a sudden, it hit him. Infatuation. He _**liked**_ her. He face-palmed. Why hadn't he realized this earlier? It was so obvious.

At this, Neku walked in in his boxers.

"Bathroom's open if you want to use it."

Joshua nodded, and he got up. He brushed his teeth (with Neku's toothbrush), washed his face, and so on.

Afterward, he went back into Neku's room, also in his boxers, and he got back into his sleeping bag.

"Good night Neku."

"Uh...good night Joshua."

For a few minutes, things were quiet. However, Joshua really needed to ask him a question.

"Neku?"

"...Yes?"

"I need to ask you something."

Neku groaned. He was tired, and he really wanted to sleep, but he answered.

"What is it?"

"Um...how did you first realize that you liked Shiki?"

"...What brought this on?"

"Just a question. But you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"No. You'll just Scan me if I don't."

"You really trust me that little?"

"Yes."

With this, Neku sat up.

"Um...I started to realize it when she became my Entry Fee. But it was really clear after we ran into her at the end of the third week."

"Ok...that makes sense."

"Here's a question for you: Why do want to know?"

"Uh..."

He was stumped. He didn't want to tell him.

However, as Joshua remembered from the time they spent together during the Game, Neku wasn't stupid, and he could easily put two and two together.

"That's why you wanted to spend time with Rhyme earlier, wasn't it? I should have realized that there was **something **up when you did that!"

"Fine. You caught me. But what's it to you?"

"Uh...she's my friend! And, she just happens to be fourteen! She's younger than us you know!"

"However, she has the maturity and intelligence of someone twice her age!"

"How about Beat? If he finds out, he will kill you!"

"Then don't tell him!"

Neku grunted in anger, and he pulled his blanket over himself.

"I'm done talking about this."

"Fine."

…

"You know Neku, I really do feel happy for you and Shiki."

"Yeah yeah. Really, she makes me feel like I'm not alone anymore."

"I can understand that."

Then, Joshua yawned loudly. Neku took that as a sign of "time for bed".

"Good night Joshua."

"Good night...Nekky-kun."

Neku then turned off the light.

…

WAM!

* * *

And there you go, one more chapter. Thanks to Blaziken100, Tactical Neku, YamiTenshi14, Sahara, and my all-time favorite reviewer Xernuht for the reviews. You provide me with the satisfaction that I am doing something right. Thank you all very much.

Also, I graduated recently, so updates _**should**_ come more often. I hope so anyway.


	6. Week 5, Day 3: Sweet Dreams

A/N: I changed Rhyme's age to 14. This makes it easier for me later on. Just to let you know.

I don't own TWEWY. Square Enix does.

* * *

That same night, across town, Rhyme was also thinking of the walk she had with Joshua.

She had gone to her and Beat's room early to get away from the never-ending yelling, but, like Joshua, she had questions of her own.

_Why was he being so nice to me? Didn't Beat and the others say that he was incapable of being nice?_

She put her hands to her head as if she had a headache, and she started to get mad.

_And why can't I stop thinking about him?_

One thing was for certain: she wanted to talk to someone. But who?

Beat would freak, and she didn't know Neku too well yet. Besides, he would probably freak too.

The obvious choice was Shiki. They had become fast friends over the last week, and she could probably also trust her not to tell the others about it.

Rhyme yawned as she looked at the clock. It was too late to call her now, so she decided to wait until the morning. She then lie back to relax.

Her silence was soon broken. Beat, finished with his latest argument, came in to go to bed. She flashed him a sweet smile, and went into the bathroom to change.

When she got back to the room in her pajamas, Beat was already in his bed, lying in the shorts that he had worn earlier. He had always slept this way, mostly because he shared a room with his younger sister.

She walked over to her bed, and she sat down gently. Rhyme then yawned again, and she fell back to let herself go to sleep.

* * *

For the last week since the Game, Rhyme slept dreamless sleep. She couldn't explain it, but she thought it had something to do with the Entry Fee that she had lost.

However, in the middle of that night, Rhyme finally had a dream. It surprised her that she actually was having one, but the dream itself surprised her more:

_It was a beautiful sunset. The sun was dimming on the day, leaving bright colors of red, orange, and yellow across the sky. Rhyme was sitting on the edge of her family's roof_, _relaxing as she contemplated the day's events. A nice breeze brushed across her face. It was peaceful...until she heard a door close from the other side of the apartment complex's roof._

_Joshua was walking towards her. She smiled a bit, and she turned back to the beautiful sun. He sat down on the ledge next to her, smiling his trademark smile._

_Neither one said anything for the longest time. Both were content just to be in each other's company._

_However, this soon changed when Rhyme felt his arm wrap around her back, pulling her closer to him. She didn't pull away; instead, she leaned her head against his arm._

_More silence ensued. Rhyme loved being this close to him._

_Then, Joshua broke the silence._

"_I love you Raimu."_

_She turned to face him, her noticeable blush making her face hot. Did she hear that correctly?_

_He was gazing into her eyes with his own, and she couldn't help but see them as hypnotic violet jewels. Joshua was radiant in the dimming light, and his smile wasn't malicious like normal; it had an alluring angelic sense to it, and she couldn't stop herself from being pulled in._

_Rhyme closed her eyes, and their lips met. Almost instantly, she felt fireworks. Joshua apparently felt the same, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She put one arm around his neck while the other was busy feeling through his soft ashen hair._

_It was if their souls had erupted with passion. Their kiss was getting deeper and deeper, and their embrace was getting tighter and tighter. Neither were willing to let the other go._

_However, they soon needed to breathe. So, they broke apart, but they still were in each other's arms. Both were happily out of breath._

_She smiled again at him._

"_I love you too, Joshua."_

_He smiled back. Both felt like a void in their very souls were filled by the other. Then, their lips met again.

* * *

_

Rhyme then woke up, panting and sweating heavily. She got up, and she walked to the bathroom.

When she got there, she pulled up her sleeves, and she splashed cold water on her face until she felt much cooler.

Then, she went to the kitchen. She tiptoed her way past her parent's room, and she got there quietly. She got herself a glass of water, and she carefully trekked back to her/Beat's room.

Once there, she got back into bed. Rhyme kicked off her sheets, and she thought of her dream.

She remembered very vividly, more so than any other dream she ever had. It was making her blush even now.

However, two parts stuck out:

"I love you Raimu."

"I love you too, Joshua."

"_Could this be how I really feel about him?"_

The fourteen-year-old girl knew very little about "love". She only knew what she had read in her books and stories.

One thing was for sure: Now, she really needed to talk to Shiki.

* * *

Thanks to Jaunea for the serious betaing job she did with this chapter! I really couldn't have done it without you!

Also, thanks to Xernuht, BlazikenGirl100, Tactical Neku, YamiTenshi14, and Sahara for the reviews!

Sorry for the wait! It was my birthday yesterday!

R&R please!


	7. Week 5, Day 4: Makeover

Sorry for the wait. My muse has directed me towards one of my other fics for a while, so I kinda dropped the ball on this one. I'm back, however, after reading Shiro, Kuro by SilverCrescent17.

I do not own TWEWY.

* * *

Meanwhile, later that morning, Shiki was having a dream of her own.

_She was in her room. The lights were on, but she definitely wasn't alone._

_Neku had her against a wall, and the two were passionately making out._

_He then kissed her neck gently, eliciting a content sigh from her. After that, Neku got right next to her ear, so close that his breath sent shivers down her spine._

"_Shiki?"_

"_Yes Neku?"_

"_Do you trust me?"_

_"...Yes."_

"_Good, because-"_

BRRRRING!

Shiki then literally jumped out of sleep. She looked at her alarm clock, but it wasn't the culprit. Her cell phone was ringing instead.

"It better not be Neku..."

She picked it up and looked at it. To her surprise, it was Rhyme.

"Hi Rhyme."

"Hi Shiki. You sound tired. Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah, but it's fine."

"Good. The reason I called is because I need to talk to you in private."

"Ok...but I actually have plans before the daily meeting at Hachiko. I'm supposed to meet Eri for some girl time. If you want to meet up with us, that's cool."

"Sure...I guess. I've never met Eri. Can I trust her?"

"Yes! She's been my best friend ever since I can remember!"

"Ok. But this is important, and I don't want any of the guys finding out."

"OOH! Now I'm interested!"

"Yeah yeah. Where do you want to meet?"

"104. Be there in an hour."

"Got it. I'll tell Beat that I'll meet him at Hachiko later. Bye."

Click.

Shiki then stretched and yawned. It was time to get up.

* * *

Rhyme was standing outside 104, anxious. Shiki was five minutes late, and she figured that was due to the fact that Eri was coming along.

However, she didn't have to wait much longer.

"Hi Rhyme."

"Hi Shiki. Is this Eri?"

Sure enough, Eri looked exactly as Shiki did during the Game. The fashionista looked her over.

"You must be Rhyme! Shiki told me about you!"

She then engulfed the small 14-year old in a massive bear hug. Shiki was concerned for her safety.

"Sorry. She gets like this sometimes."

"It's ok. Just...let me breathe."

Eri let go, a look of guilt on her face.

"Shiki was also right about something else: your clothing. Why do you wear Wild Boar?"

"Uh, it's comfortable. Plus, my brother wears it too."

"This won't do! Shiki, we must get her a new outfit!"

Rhyme looked at Shiki with a "Help Me" face. Shiki responded with an equally sorry "There's Nothing I Can Do" look.

"Come on!"

Eri then dragged Rhyme inside. Shiki sighed, and she followed them in.

* * *

Four shops, two hours, and one massive headache later, the three girls emerged from 104. Rhyme was holding 2 large shopping bags filled with new, more feminine clothing.

They decided to get an early lunch, so they went to Sunshine.

Once inside and sat down, Eri apologized.

"Sorry about that. I get carried away sometimes."

"It's ok. I'm poor, and I rarely go clothes shopping. I was probably about due."

"...Hey Rhyme? Didn't you have something important to tell me?"

"That's right! I almost forgot!"

"So, what was it?"

"First off, you have to promise to keep it a secret. You too, Eri."

Both girls nodded.

"Well, I had a dream last night. It was about someone in our group."

"Yeah? Who was it?"

"...Joshua."

Shiki squealed.

"Really? What happened?"

"Um...we kissed."

Shiki squealed again, but Eri was confused.

"Uh, who is Joshua?"

"He's one of our friends. He's kinda stuck-up, and he's really sarcastic, but he's not all bad."

"Hmmm...what doe's he look like?"

"He's pale, and he wears expensive clothes like Dragon Couture and Pegaso.

At this, Rhyme decided to chime in.

"Plus, he's got soft, ash-colored hair and beautiful violet eyes. He'd thin and wiry, but he is surprisingly strong, and..."

She stopped when she realized what she was saying. Eri and Shiki were looking at her weirdly.

"Uh Rhyme, did anything else happen in your dream?"

"Well, he said that he loved me, and I said it back."

Eri and Shiki exchanged looks, and they squeaked again.

"You like him!"

"What?"

"Why else would you dream about him kissing you?"

"It's your brain trying to tell you!"

Rhyme thought about it, and she couldn't deny it: she liked him.

"I guess you're right. What should I do?"

Shiki and Eri huddled away from her for a second, and the two came up with an idea. They then looked at her with evil looks on their faces.

The two girls then each grabbed one of Rhyme's hands, and they started dragging her towards Cadoi City.

"We need to hit a few more shops."

* * *

Neku, Joshua, and Beat were all standing around Hachiko waiting for the girls. They were now fifteen minutes late. Beat was getting antsy.

"A'ight yo! They betta get here soon, or I'ma-"

"Calm down Beat. Shiki called me and told me that they were going to be a little late. They will be here soon."

And, just then, Shiki and Eri came into sight. Shiki walked up and gave Neku a quick kiss.

"Sorry we're late."

"It's fine. Is this Eri?"

With that, Eri began to look him over intensely. Neku didn't like the scrutiny.

"So you're Neku, huh?"

"Eri, will you stop that? You'll freak him out!"

"Sorry. I'm very protective of Shiki, so you better not hurt her!"

Neku put his arms up in defense.

"I won't! I swear!"

"Good."

She then turned to Joshua.

"And I guess you're Joshua? Shiki told me all about you."

"I certainly hope she didn't tell you _everything_ about me."

She then began to look him over too, and he wasn't going to take it.

"Excuse me! What do you think you are doing?"

"...Nothing. You just look a lot like the Prince, that's all."

She was actually trying to look to see what Rhyme saw in him.

Beat had been silent the whole time. He was instantly attracted to Eri, but he had a tendency to freak when this happened to him.

Eri then looked at him.

"That must mean you're Beat! Shiki told me about you, too!"

"R-really? Wh-what did she say 'bout me?"

"She told me that you're not only a tough skateboarder, but that you're also very nice and very protective about your little sister."

"T-tha's me."

"What she didn't tell me, however, was how ripped you are! Do you work out?"

She then gave his bicep a squeeze, making him even more uncomfortable. His blush was completely nervous, and both Neku and Joshua had evil ideas floating around in their heads.

"A l-little. Skating helps t-too."

"And your sister was right: you do wear Wild Boar! It suits you so well!"

Neku laughed. However, he realized something.

"Uh Eri? Where's Rhyme?"

She stopped flirting, much to Beat's relief, and turned around towards him.

"She had to do something really quick, but she should be here any time. There she is now!"

True enough, Rhyme was happily walking up through the crowds. However, one thing was different: her clothes. She was wearing a black turtleneck and a pair of skinny blue jeans. Her new shoes were slightly girlier, and her signature beanie was replaced by a hair clip that made her short hair seem more feminine.

She walked up and gave Beat a hug, snapping him out of his daze.

"Yo sis! You look great! Where did ya get the new digs?"

"Shiki and Eri got them for me. They said that I needed a new wardrobe."

Shiki and Eri walked up to them.

"We do good work, don't we Beat?"

"Hell yeah!"

Neku and Joshua held back, however. The latter was frozen, unable to say anything. Neku realized this, and he had to use this moment for revenge.

"So Joshua, what do you think of Rhyme's new look?"

"You know full well what I think. You're enjoying every second of this, aren't you?"

"Definitely."

Shiki then dragged Rhyme over to Joshua, much to her and his chagrin.

"So Joshua, how did we do?"

He froze for a second, but his subconscious was yelling at him.

_Say something! Anything!_

"Um, you did very nice. She looks less like a miniature version of her brother and more like an actual young woman. Good job."

Rhyme blushed. When was the last time she heard Joshua ever complement anybody, much less her. Never. It was almost too much for her to bear.

Joshua mentally punched himself. He was too nice, and that's suspicious. He needed to fix that, but how.

Neku then came up next to him.

"That was surprisingly nice of you."

And that was the opening he needed.

"You're just jealous Neku. But don't worry, you're just as adorable as her."

WAM!

Joshua was on the ground with another bloody nose, but he was satisfied with his cover-up.

Shiki was...slightly jealous. Only she could talk to Neku like that! However, seeing that he was justly punished, she grinned and turned to the others.

"So, what are we doing today?"

* * *

The rest of the day went off without a hitch. The group hit a few shops, but that was pretty much it.

Joshua and Rhyme didn't talk to each other that much out of sheer nerves. The others (except for Beat) couldn't help but notice.

After the group went their separate ways, Neku and Shiki stayed behind.

"Shiki, I need to tell you something."

"Really? What is it?"

"...Joshua has a crush on Rhyme."

Shiki began laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"N-nothing! It's just a coincidence, that's all."

"What do you mean?"

"Rhyme likes Joshua too."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. She told me that she was dreaming about him. They were making out and saying "I love you" to each other."

"...Wow. Is that why you and Eri gave her a makeover?"

"Yeah. It was to get Joshua's attention, but she didn't need it, apparently."

…

"Also Neku, could you not tell Rhyme I told you. I promised not to tell anyone."

"Sure. But now we have to come up with a plan."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, first we could..."


	8. Week 5, Day 5: Love

This story only has a few chapters left, so prepare for some big events. Starting in this chapter. Enjoy.

I don't own TWEWY.

* * *

"Why are we going to Wildkat instead of Hachiko?"

"Shiki called and told me that she had some shopping to do in that area, and she thought it would be fun."

"...She has you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?"

"...Shut up."

* * *

When the two got there, they realized that the only people in the shop were Shiki, Rhyme, and Mr. H. Neku smiled secretly.

Shiki noticed him, and she gave Neku a quick peck on the cheek. Rhyme and Joshua saw each other, and they looked the other way.

Then, Shiki got their attention.

"Well, Neku and I are off!"

Joshua face-palmed.

"What? You just got here!"

"I know, but I remembered some shopping that I have to do."

Rhyme then spoke up. "What about you, Neku?"

Shiki answered for him. "I need his opinion on outfits."

Rhyme and Joshua were in shock.

"Now behave you two, or I'll have Mr. H separate you."

They then left.

For a few seconds, there was near-total silence. The only noise that could be heard was Mr. H whistling as he wiped off the main counter.

However, the silence became too much for him, and he spoke up.

"Uh, either of you want something?"

Seizing the opportunity to break the ice, Joshua responded.

"Sure. How about...a cup of House Blend for me, and..."

Rhyme realized that it was her turn to order.

"Uh, s-same for me!"

"Good. Coming right up!"

Mr. H. then walked off to get their coffee, leaving the two alone. Joshua began fighting with himself in his head.

_Say something, damn it! You can't show any weakness!_

_But I can't help it. I've never felt this way about anyone else before! I don't know what to say!_

_Well come up with something! Anything! Just do it quick!_

"Joshua?"

Rhyme broke his concentration. He looked up at her, quickly putting on his normal "snide" face.

"Yes Raimu?

"You seem...tense. Are you ok?"

"Yes. Just a slight Neku-related headache, but I'm fine."

"Good."

Mr. H. then brought out the coffees, and the two sat down at the counter. Sanae then smirked.

"I'll leave you two alone, then. Call me if you need me."

Joshua handed him the money for the coffee.

"Got it."

Rhyme felt guilty.

"You don't need to pay for me!"

"I think so. Besides, can't I do something nice once and a while?"

Rhyme looked deeply into her drink. Joshua was _never_ nice.

"Now, I have a question: where is your obnoxious brother?"

"He's out skateboarding with some friends."

"I'm surprised that he has social skills."

"Well...they are just like him."

"Great. Now Shibuya's full of gutter-mouths."

"They aren't all bad...usually."

"I bet."

A few seconds went by.

"How is your coffee, Raimu?

"Good. How about yours?"

"Good, as usual. Sanae has excellent food and drink for just a cafe."

Just then, however, Rhyme's stomach growled.

"Sorry. I didn't have any breakfast today."

"That's ok. Sanae!"

Mr. H. then walked out from the back.

"Yes."

"Get Raimu here a bowl of bouillabaisse."

She then felt even guiltier.

"I couldn't-!"

"Nonsense. I don't want you to go hungry."

Sanae then walked in with a steaming bowl of soup.

"Here you go. Bon Appetit!"

She took one last look at Joshua, grabbed her spoon, and tried a sip. Her eyes lit up.

"It's great! I love seafood!"

Joshua smiled a non-snide smile, and he turned towards Mr. H. The Producer was smiling, but in a way that Joshua didn't like.

"Raimu dear, will you be ok here by yourself for a minute? I need to talk to Sanae privately."

"Uh, sure Joshua."

He got up and walked behind the counter, towards the back.

* * *

"Ok Sanae, what's going on?"

The two were upstairs in Mr. H's apartment, and Sanae was leaning against the wall while Joshua sat down at his table.

"Well see...I'm not allowed to talk about it."

"Tell me now, and I won't destroy you."

Mr. H. put his hands up in defense.

"No need to get hostile. I'll tell you."

Mr. H. took a deep breath.

"Phones and Shiki payed me off to watch over you two. They also paid me to help push you two together."

Joshua didn't say a word. For a second, however, a mixture of realization and anger washed over his normally-collected face.

"I'm going to kill them later."

"Now now, don't hurt them. They are only trying to help you."

Joshua wasn't listening. He was plotting revenge.

Then, however, he saw a problem with his plan.

"Ugh. If I kill them, I have to deal with them again in the UG. Damn."

He turned back towards Mr. H.

"Now, what did you say?"

"I said that they are only trying to help you."

Then, something clicked in his head.

"Hey! If they both came to you, that means that Neku told Shiki!"

Joshua was raging now, and his eyes were on fire. Mr. H. sighed. Joshua didn't get it.

"Chill out man. You aren't getting the whole picture."

Joshua took a deep breath.

"Ok then, enlighten me."

"The only reason that Neku told Shiki is because Rhyme went to Shiki."

Joshua was intrigued, if not slightly shocked.

"Why?"

Sanae then looked away.

"If I tell you this, you gotta promise not to tell anyone I told you. Especially not Phones."

"...Fine."

Mr. Hanekoma looked back at him.

"She...had a dream about you."

Joshua was silent, but he was definitely interested.

"Go on."

* * *

By the time Joshua and Mr. H. finished their discussion, Rhyme had almost finished her soup.

However, Joshua walked back out silently while Rhyme's eyes were closed in delight. She hadn't had anything this delicious in quite a while.

"Are you enjoying the soup, Raimu dear?"

Shivers went down her spine. She almost choked.

"Y-yes. It's v-very good."

Joshua was smiling his normal devious smile, which only added to her anxiety.

However, she soon finished her soup, and Joshua decided to act.

"Raimu?"

"Y-yes?"

"Would you like to take a walk?"

She looked down in embarrassment, and she nodded.

"Good. Come along."

The two got up, and they headed for the door.

Just before the two left, however, Joshua looked over to Mr. H, who simply gave him a thumbs-up, and the two walked out the door.

* * *

Far above Shibuya's Scramble Crossing, sitting on the roof of 104, was a strange, shady-looking man. He had short black hair, and he wore a black trench coat, large headphones, goggles, and he was covered in black tribal tattoos. He was scanning the crowds below with binoculars, and as soon as he found who he was looking for, he pulled out his cell phone.

"Hey. This is Takakura."

"_What do you want?"_

"I have them in my sights. What should I do now?"

"_Just observe the hectopascals. Tell me if anything interesting happens."_

"Do you have the others doing surveillance on the other targets?"

"_Yes. Now get back to work. I have art to finish."_

The man put away his phone, cranked up his music, and smiled to himself.

"I hate math."

* * *

Joshua and Rhyme were silent for the entire walk so far. However, they had gotten to Hachiko, and now Phase 2 of Joshua's plan could commence.

"So Raimu, isn't it a nice day out?"

They sat down on one of the benches.

"Yes. It's not raining, but it's not too hot either."

Joshua sat back. He had to relax a little, or this might not go as smoothly as planned.

"Raimu, I have to ask you something."

"Uh, sure Joshua. What is it?"

"What do you think of me?"

Rhyme flinched. She was not expecting _that_.

"Uh, why do you ask?"

"I just want to know. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She looked at him with a smile. Being around him made her emotions go crazy. She didn't mind, though.

"No, it's fine."

She looked away.

"In my opinion, the others treat you like a monster."

"In an way, Raimu dear, I am. I did hold your very souls hostage, and I made you play a game for survival. It's like a horror movie, except this actually happened."

"Yes, but I don't see you that way."

"Then how do you see me?"

"...I think that you're mysterious, misunderstood, but above all: lonely."

That took Joshua back.

"What do you mean by "lonely"?"

"I mean that even though you were basically the God of Shibuya, you had very few friends. Maybe Mr. H, but no one else."

Joshua sat silently as she continued.

"And now that you have friends here in the UG, you are finally growing out of your shell."

Joshua looked down.

"I guess you're right Raimu."

"Why did you ask for my opinion of you anyways?"

Joshua stood up. He had to finish the plan now.

Luckily for him, she stood up as well.

He then turned around, and before she could react, he wrapped his arms around her, and he brought his lips to hers.

Rhyme instantly was reminded of her dream, but this was SO much better. Not knowing what to do, she opted to do what she did in the dream, and she started to massage his hair as the kiss deepened.

They were both in a state of bliss, and they felt like nothing could tear them apart.

However, the sight of a fourteen-year-old girl and a sixteen-year-old boy making out in public was making people uncomfortable, and they noticed when people started staring. So, when they ran out of breath, Joshua made a suggestion.

"Want to take this somewhere else?"

"Definitely."

* * *

The two decided to walk to Miyashita Park. She wanted to hold his hand, but she was too shy.

"So Joshua, you never answered my question."

"What was it again?"

"I asked why you asked for my opinion of you."

"It should be obvious by now."

"Yeah."

However, he soon stopped. Joshua saw something that made him freeze: a black limo driving by, and inside was a powerful-looking man and an elegant lady, both with ashen-colored hair.

Joshua looked down, and for a second, Rhyme could have sworn that she saw a tear.

He then let go of Rhyme, and he bolted towards the Scramble.

"Joshua! Wait!"

Rhyme didn't know what happened, but she had to find out, and she then ran after him.

* * *

Another cliffhanger! I AM EVIL!

Oh well. You all should be used to this from me by now.

Please review!


	9. Week 5, Day 5: Secret Past

Well...I hope that last chapter didn't throw anybody off. Also, prepare for serious plot.

...I got nothing. I don't own TWEWY.

* * *

Rhyme had never had to run this hard before. She was following Joshua, who was surprisingly agile, and he was headed towards the Scramble. Day had become night.

When she got there, she found him standing in the middle of the crosswalks, his face down. Rhyme was dead-tired, but he didn't seem winded at all. She ran up to him.

"Joshua!"

Upon hearing her, he looked up. He had tears running down his face, and she could have sworn that she heard him mutter "Dammit" under his breath.

"Raimu?"

He turned away.

"Please go away. I don't want you to see me like this."

"What's wrong?"

"It's these damn human emotions! I hate them!"

"I...I don't understand."

Joshua turned back towards her.

"You wouldn't. Nobody would."

She realized that she should have been offended, but she wasn't. This was Joshua after all.

"Well...why don't you make me understand?"

Joshua wanted to say something snide and sarcastic, but he couldn't.

"...Fine."

She smiled, but he continued.

"But not here. Let's go get something to eat."

Rhyme didn't argue. She only followed.

* * *

They ended up at Ramen Don's. Joshua was adamant that he was paying after Rhyme initially protested, but they got a table after that was settled.

"What are you going to order, Joshua?"

"My favorite: Shio."

"Really? That's my favorite too!"

He turned away.

"Great minds must think alike."

After they ordered, Rhyme decided it was time for answers.

"Now that we're getting some food, we can now talk in peace."

Joshua took a deep breath, and he tried to relax.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Anywhere you feel comfortable."

"...Well, let's start with this: how I became Composer in the first place."

He sat back.

"Many years ago, I was a little boy in a rich family. I was happy, but I was terribly different: I saw dead souls."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, more precisely, I was seeing Players in the UG. I don't know why even now, but I definitely saw them. My family thought I was faking it for attention at first, but they eventually thought I was crazy. They tried to get me mental help, but the doctors couldn't help me. So, one day, my parents decided that they would keep me hidden from the world."

"That's awful!"

"Yes it was, but there was nothing I could do about it."

He then smirked.

"I was kept like that until I was fifteen. Then, something happened: I was murdered."

"Murdered? By who?"

"It was probably either the Composer at the time or one of his minions. Powerful people, like me, are commonly targeted for the Game."

"Why is that?"

"To test us. To see if we are good enough to be Reapers, or perhaps even higher. Either way, I succeeded, and I killed off the Composer with the help of my partner, Sanae Hanekoma.

"...Why doe's that not surprise me?"

"I don't know, but when we won, he went up to the Higher Plane. I took the dead Composer's spot. However, it came with a price: my humanity."

"How could they take that from you?"

"Well, they had already taken it from me via my Entry Fee. Apparently, I didn't have much to give up when I was trapped in my house like a freak. When I decided to become Composer instead of coming back to life, my Entry Fee was not given back to me. This is how it works with all Reapers. Eventually, I got used to being an inhuman monster, and life went on. I eventually got tired of Shibuya, and that's how Neku got brought into the Game. The rest is history."

"But how do you have your humanity back?"

"They gave a small amount of it back to me when I was kicked out of the UG. I have to find the rest on my own."

Ken Doi then walked up with their food, and after a quick "Itadakimasu!", they were enjoying themselves.

After a few minutes, they finished their ramen, and after Joshua paid, they left. Rhyme, however, was still filled with questions.

* * *

Shibuya at night was a totally different place. All the businessmen and women were going home, and the buildings were all lit up. It was so bright that it was like day.

Joshua and Rhyme decided to sit at the benches at Hachiko and continue their conversation.

"So Joshua, were those people in that limo earlier your parents?"

Joshua froze, but then he busted out laughing. She was confused.

"What's so funny?"

"N-nothing. It's just that, since I was kicked out of the UG, I had totally forgot about my appearance."

Now she was REALLY confused.

"What?"

He stopped laughing.

"Those people weren't my parents. They were my siblings."

"Like...your older siblings?"

"No, they were my younger siblings."

This put her into shock. Just how old was he! And why did he look like a teenager?

"H-how is that possible?"

He started laughing again.

"It's another long story, but not as long."

He stood up, and he leaned against the Hachiko statue.

"You see, I entered the Game when I was fifteen. However, it's been twenty years since then. My appearance changed while I was Composer just as if I had never joined the Game. However, when our special Game with Neku was carried out, I needed to change my appearance, so I turned into how I looked before: my fifteen-year-old self."

He stopped for a second.

"Are you still following me?"

"Yeah. This is all a little shocking."

"You were going to find out eventually."

"Yeah, but why are you still like this now?"

"Apparently, the higher-ups think that I would do better if I was still in this form. I don't know if they are right, but I'm stuck like this for now."

She remained silent. He took this as a bad sign, so he sat down next to her, and he put his arm around her.

"Don't worry about it. Either way, I'll still be with you. That is...if you want me to be."

She snapped out of it.

"Definitely!"

"Good! So, should we tell Neku and Shiki about us?"

She snuggled closer to him.

"I guess...but I don't want my brother to know yet."

"Why?"

"If you haven't noticed, he's REALLY protective of me. If he found out, he would probably try to kill you."

"He can't hurt me. I'm the Composer!"

"Not right now, you aren't."

He facepalmed.

"Ugh...you're right."

He smirked.

"So we won't tell him. Let's tell Neku and Shiki though, ok?"

"Sure."

He then noticed his watch. It read "10:42".

"I'd better get you home now, Raimu dear. It's getting late."

So, they got up, and he walked her home.

* * *

As they got to her house, they stopped.

"Here you are. Just remember not to tell Daisukenojo."

"Got it."

She began to walk towards the door, but she couldn't help herself. She stopped, turned around, and kissed him briefly. She then hugged him, and she ran inside. He smiled, and he began to walk home.

Once Rhyme got inside she ran up to her room. When she got there, she noticed that Beat was sitting on his bed, working on his new skateboard. He had just gotten it, and he had already broken one of the wheels.

"Yo sis! Why ya out so late?"

"Um...I was out with a friend."

His brotherly-protection kicked in.

"Wit who?"

"Uh...Shiki."

"...Ok."

With this, he turned back to his skateboard. It was a C.A.T. Board, and he was very interested in it. He was so gullible.

Noticing that he wasn't looking, she grabbed her cell phone and ran into the bathroom.

"Now to call Shiki."

"_Beep...Beep...Be-Hello? Who is this?"_

"It's me, Rhyme."

"_Oh. Hi Rhyme. What's up?"_

"I have good news: I'm going out with Joshua!"

Rhyme had to pull the phone away from her ear because of the resulting squeal.

"_Seriously? That's great!"_

"I know. He's going to tell Neku himself, but can you keep this a secret from Beat? You know how he gets, and he would probably try to kill Joshua if he found out."

"_Sure! Now, tell me what happened!"_

Rhyme decided to leave out all of the secrets that Joshua told her, and she decided just to tell her about how they came to kiss each other.

"Well, it all started when you left Mr. H's shop..."

* * *

Some time later, on the other side of town, Joshua was slipping into his sleeping bag. Neku was already in bed, but he wasn't asleep.

"So, what happened today after I left?"

"Before I tell you, I have to say that I hate you."

"I bet you do. However, I had to leave you two for the plan to work."

"Yes, I know. Just realize that I will get you back...eventually."

"Whatever. Just tell me."

"Fine."

Joshua then sat up.

"When you left, things were really awkward between us. However, I broke the ice by buying her lunch there."

"How nice."

"Shut up. Anyways...I then took Raimu on a walk. We went to Hachiko, and we talked for a while."

"That's it?"

"No, keep listening. After talking for a while, I decided to make my move, and I kissed her."

"Nice."

"Yes. She responded well to it, and she kissed back."

"Then what happened?"

Joshua didn't want to tell him about his secrets, so he left that out.

"We then went to Ramen Don's, had some ramen, and I took her home. We kissed, and I left. The end."

"Very nice Joshua. I never thought you had it in you."

"Me neither, but I digress. I'm happier now, and so is she, so that's all that matters."

He laid back down.

"...Neku, do me a favor."

"What?"

"Don't tell Daisukenojo. Raimu is worried that he will attack me if he finds out."

"He probably would. Sure."

"Thanks."

Neku then turned off the lamp, and they went to sleep.

After she got off the phone with Shiki, Rhyme got dressed for bed, and she got into bed. Beat had finished with his skateboard, and he had turned off the light and went to bed. Rhyme muttered to herself.

"Apparently, that call lasted longer than I thought."

She slipped into her bed quietly, and she began to think, her mind ablaze with questions.

"_Are we officially together?"_

"_How will Beat react?"_

"_Was he telling the truth about his past?"_

"_What does he really look like?"_

With that last question, she tried to picture what he looked like as an adult. She pictured him as a strong yet graceful ruler of the UG.

However, her imagination soon got carried away, and she had to stop. She was sweating, and she wondered why he always made her sweat when she thought of him. She shrugged, and she got up, got some water, and went back to bed.

* * *

And there you go. Sorry if I bored any of you with that plot, but I had some ideas to get down in this chapter. Also, sorry if I weirded any of you out either. I tried to keep this in canon, and this is what I got.

Thanks to Xernuht, YamiTenshi14, Tactical Neku, BlazikenGirl100, and animefreakanime for the reviews! They keep me going on these even when it looks bleak for me.

Please R&R!


	10. Week 5, Day 7: Death

Hopefully the last chapter didn't bore anyone to death. This should be much better in that regard.

This is the LAST CHAPTER OF THIS STORY. Prepare for some...drama.

Also, to "John Smith": I see what you mean. I realized that too earlier, but it was already too late to fix it. Sorry...

I don't own TWEWY. Squeenix does.

* * *

They couldn't meet the next day due to some family-related issues on the Bito's part, but this didn't stop Rhyme from thinking about Joshua. Every little thing that she did reminded her of him. Whenever a cool breeze sent a shiver down her spine, she thought of the intoxicating effect he had on her whenever he was close, and she couldn't help but wish that he would call, even though this would probably break the secret to Beat.

When she went to bed that night, she quickly texted Joshua to tell him to meet her at Hachiko early the next day. Then, she let sleep carry her off to dreams of a pale-haired god.

* * *

As the next day rolled around, Rhyme was sitting in front of Hachiko, playing with her cell phone. She looked happy, but she really was anxious. Joshua was supposed to meet her there before everyone else today. That way, they could have some alone time without problems from Beat.

Luckily for her, Joshua quickly arrived. He had a a coffee in each hand, and a plastic Wildkat bag over his shoulder.

"Good morning Raimu."

"Good morning Joshua."

He then sat down next to her, and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. Joshua then handed her one of the cups of coffee, and he got into the bag.

"I brought you coffee and a muffin."

"Thanks, but you didn't need to get me anything."

"I know, but I like buying you gifts."

She opened her mouth to repeat herself, but he stuffed a muffin in her mouth before she could say anything.

"Just eat, ok?"

She gave up, and ate the muffin.

"So Raimu, Daisukenojō is coming today, isn't he?"

"Yes he is. However, I think you should stop calling him that. You've already given him enough reason to hate you."

Joshua smirked. Rhyme put on a puppy dog face.

"Please? For me?"

Joshua sighed.

"Fine, but only for you."

He took another swig of coffee.

"So, _Beat_ is coming today."

"Yeah, but-"

"Hey Rhyme!"

The two looked over. Neku, Shiki, and Eri were walking towards them. Shiki and Eri looked like fangirls ready to squeal.

"We told Eri, so I hope you don't mind."

"I guess so, but none of you told Beat, right?"

Neku spoke up.

"Right. However, he is coming today, so you two might want to behave like nothing happened."

Joshua stood up.

"Speaking of which, where is he?"

Rhyme stood up too.

"He said that he had to meet his friend for a replacement part for his new skateboard, and he would meet us here soon."

"YO!"

Sure enough, Beat was in sight, skating towards them. Neku cleared his throat.

"Good. Now that everybody's here, what are we going to do today?"

Eri and Shiki looked at each other with excited faces.

"SHOPPING!"

Neku facepalmed, realizing that he should have seen that coming.

"Actually girls, I was hoping to go to AMX today. I need to pick up some new music."

Beat agreed.

"Yeah! Let's do that!"

Everybody else nodded, and they set off for AMX.

* * *

When they got there, everybody immediately split into groups. Neku and Beat headed towards the hip-hop and metal sections, while Shiki and Eri headed towards the J-Pop section. This left Joshua and Rhyme, and they decided to split up to avoid suspicion from Beat. Rhyme then went over to Shiki and Eri, while Joshua walked over to the classical section.

However, after what seemed like an hour, she got bored, and she decided to go looking for Joshua. Rhyme found him peacefully listening to music, his eyes closed to everything else. She gently tapped his shoulder.

"What are you listening to?"

"Beethoven. He's my favorite composer, though it feels somewhat...cliched to say that."

"What do you mean?"

"Everybody says that they like Beethoven, even if they don't listen to him."

"Well, I like him, though he's only my second favorite composer."

He smirked, and the two leaned in closer.

"Really? Who's your favorite?"

She was just about to reply with a kiss when she saw Beat's beanie over the shelf getting closer, and she pushed Joshua away at the last second. He wondered at first what happened, but he soon figured it out.

"So sis, find anything ya want?"

"Nope. How about you?"

"Jus' a couple of newer albums, but Neku's buying them for me."

Joshua smirked again.

"Why would you do that Neku? You already have a girlfriend. Why don't you get _her_ a gift?"

Both Neku and Beat got angry, but Rhyme cooled them down by getting between them and Joshua.

"The only reason that he's buying 'em for me is so he can rip it to his MP3 first. Got it Prissy?"

Joshua looked away with a satisfied look on his face.

"Whatever."

Rhyme looked at him and sighed with frustration. Why does he always intentionally get on other people's nerves?

Then, with seemed like perfect timing, Beat's stomach growled. Joshua turned around.

"I guess that is a sign that it's time to leave."

Neku nodded, and he went off to go get Shiki and Eri.

* * *

Several hours, approximately ten bowls of ramen, and one financial headache for Neku later, they were back to shopping, and they had eventually ended up at 104.

Neku and Beat were carrying around bags of clothes for Shiki and Eri, leaving Rhyme and Joshua to talk as she looked through the clothes.

"So, he still doesn't know, does he?"

"No, thank goodness. You really shouldn't make him mad like that."

"I know, but it's too much fun. Besides, I can't help it. It's part of my personality."

Before either person could talk again, Joshua got a phone call. He could tell from the Caller ID that it was from Mr. H.

"Hello Sanae."

"_Joshua! We have big problems!"_

"Slow down. What's the matter?"

"_It's the UG! It's fallen to—BEEEEEEEEP."_

The line went dead.

Joshua froze for a second, but his survival instincts took over. If the culprit was who he thought it was, they needed to get to Wildkat immediately.

He then grabbed Rhyme's hand, and pulled her quickly over to Neku.

"Neku!"

"What's the matter Joshua?"

"I just got a phone call from Mr H. The UG has fallen."

Immediately, everyone who had been there knew what that meant. However, not everybody knew, and Eri was confused.

"What's the UG?"

Shiki was about to explain, but Joshua cut her off.

"There's no time! We need to get to Mr. H's place now!"

Everybody nodded, and they took off running.

* * *

"We're almost there!"

The group was halfway through the Miyashita Park Underpass, but they were stopped in their paths by an invisible wall, which knocked them all off their feet.

Then, with a flash of light, came the culprit: Sho Minamimoto. He was joined by a dark-looking Reaper in a trench coat.

"Hello hectopascals."

Neku slowly got up.

"You! Haven't we beaten you enough?"

"You wish! I'm zetta stronger now, and you have zero powers here in the UG."

He then looked towards Joshua.

"And from what I hear, that includes you too!"

"What do you want Minamimoto?"

"I just have come here to enact Phase 1 of my glorious plan."

He then pulled out a gun.

"It's time to die 000's."

He then fired, hitting Shiki right between the eyes, breaking her glasses in half. She died instantly, but it didn't look like it, as she fell to her knees before falling face-first into the ground. A pool of blood was growing around her head.

"SHIKI!"

Neku was overcome immediately with grief, and he ran over to her. He held her dead body in his arms, tears streaming down his face.

Everyone else was in shock, especially Eri. However, they couldn't do anything.

The other Reaper pulled out two guns, and he shot both Beat and Eri in the back. She died nearly instantly, falling as Shiki did, but Beat wasn't going down with one bullet. Noticing this, the black-clad Reaper emptied both clips into the skater, finishing him.

Neku, truly enraged, then rushed Minamimoto, but was shot down before he could get to him. Sho laughed as he hit Neku in an ironic location: his heart. Neku fell to his knees, but he continued towards the crazy Taboo Reaper. Minamimoto laughed even more maniacally, and he shot Neku in the head, just like he did to Shiki.

This left Joshua and Rhyme. Joshua put himself between Pi-Face and his girlfriend.

"What is your plan?"

"Isn't it zetta obvious!"

BANG!

Joshua froze. The bullet didn't hit him.

He turned around, and caught Rhyme as she fell. The other Reaper had apparently teleported behind them and shot Rhyme in the back.

He couldn't hold back the tears as she slowly became lifeless in his arms.

"J-Joshua?"

"Yes Raimu?"

"I...l-love you."

She then became limp as she closed her eyes.

Joshua put her gently on the ground, and he turned around. His emotions were now telling him to destroy the monster in front of him, but he knew it was no use.

"I know your plan now."

"Do you? Good. It saves me the hassle of explaining it to you."

He raised his gun.

"Welcome to MY Game."

BANG!

* * *

Yes! There is going to be a Part 3! However, I promise that it will be the FINAL PART. It will have some surprises, but it will be at least a month before I start it.

Also, I need a few OC's for the next story. They will be henchmen for Pi-Face. Anyone who wants a character in the next story should just leave a review on this story answering these questions:

Name: No gaijins, please. There aren't any in the game, so there aren't going to be any in my story. As such, characters' names have to be Japanese.

Description: Looks, clothing, etc.

Weapons: Ever character needs a weapon, or a "psych" according to a game.

Noise Form: No duplicates, please. You must pick an animal form that hasn't already been taken by a character in the game.

Personality: Very important, but no "Mary Sues". Also, make them unique. The more unique, the more interesting I can make the story.

That's about it. I'll have more details later on my profile.

Thanks to Xernuht, BlazikenGirl100, animefreakanime, Tactical Neku, YamiTenshi14, and "John Smith" for the reviews, and to all of the people who Favorited and Alerted my story. Thanks a bunch, and please R&R!


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